South Sudanese rebels want ransom for abducted Ugandans

October 24, 2016 (KAMPALA) - A South Sudanese-based rebel group has demanded that ransom be paid before they can release Ugandans they captured in ambushes along the Nimule-Juba road.

General view of Juba Nimule road leading to Nimule Park and neighbouring Uganda (Pinterest photo)

South Sudan Police chief, Gen Makur Maruol, said relatives of those abducted were being contacted by the rebel group to demand for money.

“I have learnt that some of the relatives are receiving calls from [the abductors demanding] for a ransom. We’ll make all the available means to secure the release of the two. It is a joint venture,” Maruol told reporters in Kampala on Saturday.

He added, “If Ugandan police has information give us the telephone numbers of those who are communicating from South Sudan so we try through our intelligence to track those people and find them”.

The South Sudanese police boss made these remarks while meeting his Ugandan counterpart, Gen. Kale Kayihura in Kampala, Uganda.

At least 40 Ugandans were reportedly captured by the rebel group allegedly allied to South Sudan’s former first vice president, Riek Machar as they travelled along the 192-km Juba-Nimule highway.

According to the South Sudanese Police boss, 23 people were abducted along the Nimule-Juba highway in May while eight other people were seized in July from Lobone sub-county, Magwi county.

Another group of Ugandans were reportedly captured by suspected militias in other parts of Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan.

About 26 Ugandans, the police chief said, are still being held by rebels.

Meanwhile, two task teams, from both countries, have now been put in place to track down the abductees as well as ensure safety of all passengers using the major highway linking Uganda to South Sudan.

Renewed violence, which broke out in the South Sudan, in July killed hundreds and displaced millions of people, aid agencies have said.

(ST)

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Prove me wrong, When I told you that your movement is full of warlords extremism including Riek Machar as a overall commander, What prompt them to behavior in way of demanding ransom. SPLM-IO has really run out of cash and they have sorted into abduction to civilians to get funds for rebellion. watch out, We will track you down

Riek Machar and his terrorist gangs have provided all evidence proving beyond doubt that the government and people of South Sudan were right to label them as terrorist organisation. 100% ISIS’ and Al-Shabab’s terrorists’ styles of mass kidnapping for ransoms.

Do not call South Sudanese for Dinka. South Sudanese are Shilluk, Nuer, Balanda, Ndogo, Golo, Latuka, Bari Kakwa, Pojulu who have rebelled against the misrule of Dinka. So basically say Dinka and not south Sudanese because the whole country is up in arms to rebel against your nasty rule.

Where do you belong? Do you belong to tribes or South Sudan as your nation. Dinka are not South Sudan and it is your primitive thinking that make South Sudan to be Dinka. Those government officials work working with President Kiir like Lomoro, Wani, Taban are also call Dinka. Think twice boy......you are grown up

South Sudan is the country or nation state and South Sudanese are the people of multiple ethnicity. You have always generalised Dinka interests as South Sudan interests which is wrong. It also does not help to have stooges from other tribes in the government that barely stand for the interests of their tribes. Who does Wani Igga, Lomuro, Taban represent? Yes men for Kiir.

Dear,jur_likang_a_ likan’g,
This Dinka phobia Ideology shall not make your idea of reform a success, you always unshamely stated Dinka misrule, while in IO camp you have Dinka membesr even at the top leadership such as those of Mabior Garang and the rest, if your rebellion is against Dinka as you claim, then why do you keep them in your IO camp. this is how Joseph Kony fuiled with his idea .

Makur Maruol, the dinka cattle camp leader has failed to contain the rebellion that he now wants to invite Museveni to come and give a helping hand. Where are the details of the imaginary Ugandans that were abducted? How much is the ransom placed on each head?

These are foul plays by the MTN. The same trick they did by killing their own MTN fellows on Yei road so that Equatorians are to blame. They are loosing they want the Ugandans to intervene to rescue them.

Whorrti,
Riak met M7 recently in Khartoum and expressed willingness for activating the peace deal. Kiir and jienges aren’t happy. So they stage a sinister and malicious plan to discredit IO and Riak. It’s they who kill, rape, rob everyone in Junub. Kiir is directly responsible for the massacre on Yei-Juba road to rally jienges behind him. That’s it. These jienges can do anything for money.

In fact their strategy is to get to the world a bad picture of Freedom fighters as things are not okay to them in war theatre. They want world community to sympathise with them and label SPLA/IO as terrorists which can not be proven. Who does not know that J1 soldiers rape women, kill civilians and that is their plan to get moral and material support elsewhere which must be exposed.

Jur,
This is a jienge distress call, a desperate attempt to get UPDF intervention after several military defeats. UPDF would be foolish like Kiir to march in, just cuz of such rumours. Unless ofcourse these Ugandans were spying for the jienges and must be treated as war captives. The IO cant do such a silly thing cuz the´re thousands of Equatorian and jienge refugees in Uganda.

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